Pizzas galore!

As is their way, Arsenal anointed Cesc Fabregas as their fulcrum, but the Spaniard was so tightly shackled by Seyi Olofinjana and Amdy Faye that he was forced to drop too deep to exercise his customary influence.

With less than an hour on the clock, Wenger showed his own frustration by introducing Walcott, moving Song to central defence and Toure to right back, where he could link with the substitute. Two minutes later, the Ivorian had Arsenal’s first chance, clipping a Fabregas corner inches over.

Predictably Walcott’s pace and guile galvanised Arsenal and for a moment they flattered to deceive, but when Van Persie replaced Denilson, the invisible Brazilian, salvation seemed in sight.

Instead, in two disastrous, possibly season-defining minutes, there was only damnation. Stoke had already served notice they were not wilting when Almunia moved smartly to tip aside Salif Diao’s pile-driver after his panic-stricken defenders had made another hash of Delap’s long throw.

Had Arsenal learned their first half lesson? They had not. Another long throw, this time from the left. Ryan Shawcross headed to the back post where Olofinjana headed into the ground before bundling the ball home with his shoulder as he fell.

But it was to get worse. Moments later, Thomas Sorensen teasingly dallied when picking up the ball and Van Persie took it upon himself to lunge at the goalkeeper, elbow and studs first. Rob Styles, the referee, took the only possible option and the foolish Dutchman departed.

“Very, very harsh,” claimed Wenger, adjusting his rose-tinted spectacles. “If that’s a red card I have to review my rule book.” When, in added time, Walcott left on a stretcher clutching his left arm, Arsenal were down to nine, but they managed to score when Fabregas tapped a free kick to Clichy, 20 yards out, and his shot took two deflections before beating Sorensen.

“We looked jaded at times. Stoke were sharper and they deserved to win the game,“ admitted Wenger, but he could not leave without a closing barb. “People who like the traditional English game must be very happy tonight, because they have got what they like: fight and commitment.”

For Arsenal, those questions become more pressing with each passing week.

STOKE CITY:Sorensen 6, Griffin 7, Abdoulaye Faye 7, Shawcross 7, Higginbotham 6, Amdy Faye 6, Olofinjana 7, Diao 7 (Whelan 78min), Delap 7, Fuller 7 (Cresswell 86), Sidibe (Kitson 90)

ARSENAL:Almunia 6, Sagna 5 (57min Walcott 6), Toure 5, Silvestre 5, Clichy 5, Denilson 4 (65 Van Persie), Fabregas 6, Song Billong 5, Diaby 4, Adebayor 4 (Vela 72), Bendtner 4

DOUBLE DESTROYER
Rory Delap’s long throw created both Stoke goals yesterday.

- It’s almost as if Arsène Wenger could see it coming. Looking forward to yesterday’s match, he knew all about Rory Delap’s ability to throw the ball deep into the opposition penalty area, and admitted he would employ a similar tactic . . . if he had a player who could do it. ‘Why not? It is normal,’ said the Arsenal manager. Yesterday’s two assists were Delap’s sixth and seventh of the season

- Stoke 3 Aston Villa 2 Mamady Sidibe heads a 90th-minute winner to give Stoke their first win of the season

- Stoke 2 Everton 3 Seyi Olofinjana volleys in after 55 minutes when Tim Howard punches Delap’s throw clear and eight minutes later Phil Jagielka heads into his own net

- Portsmouth 2 Stoke 1 Ricardo Fuller benefits for the first time when he connects with Dave Kitson’s flick on

- Stoke 1 Sunderland 0 Fuller strikes 17 minutes from time with a powerful header

- Stoke 2 Arsenal 1 Fuller makes it a hat-trick of goals from Delap assists as he heads in at the far post yet again and Olofinjana bundles the ball over the line for the second

TEAM GOALS FROM THROWS

Stoke City 7 Portsmouth 2 Everton 1 Liverpool 1 Wigan Athletic 1